Ajuga plant named &#39;Piotrek01&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Ajuga  plant, ‘Piotrek01’, characterized by its abundant blooming habit, its leaves that are small in size, its intense purple flower color, its new shoots that are bright pink in color and its low maintenance plant habit.

Botanical classification: Ajuga tenorii.

Variety denomination: ‘Piotrek01’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ajuga tenorii and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Piotrek01’. ‘Piotrek01’ represents a new cultivar of Ajuga, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.

‘Piotrek01’ was discovered by the Inventor in 2013 as a naturally occurring meristematic mutation of Ajuga tenorii ‘Chocolate Chip’ (not patented) growing outdoors in a container in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the Inventor by stem cuttings in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands in February of 2017. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings and tissue culture using meristem tissue has shown that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Piotrek01’ as a unique cultivar of Ajuga.

1. ‘Piotrek01’ exhibits an abundant blooming habit. 2. ‘Piotrek01’ exhibits leaves that are small in size. 3. ‘Piotrek01’ exhibits an intense purple flower color. 4. ‘Piotrek01’ exhibits new shoots that are bright pink in color. 5. ‘Piotrek01’ exhibits low maintenance plant habit.

The parent plant of ‘Piotrek01’, ‘Chocolate Chip’, differs from ‘Piotrek01’ in having non-variegated foliage, leaves that are larger in size and a less dense plant habit. ‘Piotrek01’ can be most closely compared to Ajuga ‘Burgundy Glow’ (not patented). ‘Burgundy Glow’ differs from ‘Piotrek01’ in having leaves that are larger in size, flowers that are lighter purple in color and new shoots that are lighter pink in color and in being less floriferous.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of a 1.5 year-old plant the new Ajuga as grown outdoors in a 2-liter container in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates the plant habit and floriferous blooming habit of ‘Piotrek01’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of ‘Piotrek01’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of ‘Piotrek01’.

The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Ajuga.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as observed on 1.5 year-old plants as grown outdoors in 2-liter containers in in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with the 2015 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—Mid March to May and re-blooming with fewer             inflorescences in summer in The Netherlands.         -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant habit.—Broadly spreading, compact upright             inflorescences.         -   Height and spread.—10 to 15 cm in height (soil level to top             of foliar plane), an average of 20 cm in height (soil level             to top of floral plane) and 25 cm in width.         -   Cold hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 10.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to             diseases or pests has been observed.         -   Root description.—Fine and fibrous.         -   Propagation type.—Stem cuttings and issue culture.         -   Root development.—Rooted stem cuttings will fully root in a             2-liter container in 6 to 8 weeks.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate. -   Stem description:     -   -   Stem shape.—Quadrangular.         -   Stem color.—Young; 197A, mature; 144A, internodes; 144A to             144B.         -   Stem size.—An average of 8.4 cm in length and 2 mm in             diameter.         -   Stem surface.—Glossy, sparsely covered with very short             hairs; average of 0.5 mm in length, too small to measure             color.         -   Stem aspect.—Main stems held in an average angle of 15° and             lateral stems held at an average angle of 40° to main             branch.         -   Internode length.—An average of 2.7 cm.         -   Branching habit.—An average of 72 main basal stems and 4             lateral branches per main stem, moderately strong. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Obovate to narrow spathulate.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Narrow cuneate.         -   Leaf apex.—Obtuse.         -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, upper surface color 147A, lower             surface color 144A.         -   Leaf margins.—Entire.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Leaf surface.—Smooth, glabrous, matte.         -   Leaf color.—New growth upper surface; 138B, irregularly             blotched 147A, margins 186D, new growth lower surface;             between 138B and 147C, irregularly blotched 13B, leaf             margins 186D, mature upper surface; between 138B and 148B,             margins 8D, mature lower surface a color between 138A and             138B, margins 4D to slightly lighter.         -   Leaf size.—Average of 3.6 cm in length, 1.1 cm in width.         -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 15 per lateral stem.         -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Raceme, individual flowers in clusters             of 5 flowers in leaf-axils.         -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 7.6 cm in height and 2.6             cm in width.         -   Inflorescence number.—An average of 72.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Average of 10 days,             self-cleaning.         -   Flower type.—Labiate.         -   Flower number.—Average of 35 per inflorescence, 2,500 per             plant.         -   Flower fragrance.—None.         -   Flower buds.—Oblanceolate in shape, average of 7 mm in             length and 2 mm in diameter, color; 93C, fading lighter             towards the base, immature calyx 86C, surface matte and             densely covered with short hairs; an average of 0.4 mm in             length and 156D in color.         -   Flower size.—Average of 6 mm in height, 7 mm in diameter and             1.1 cm in length, throat diameter 2 mm, tube 6 mm in length             and 1.5 mm in diameter.         -   Peduncles.—An average of 6.4 cm in length, 1.75 mm in             diameter, held straight on top of lateral branch, moderately             strong, color; between N77A and N77C, surface is glossy and             sparsely covered with very short hairs; an average of 0.5 mm             in length, too small to measure color.         -   Pedicels.—An average of 4 mm in length, 1 mm in diameter,             held in an average angle of 40° from peduncle, moderately             strong, 144A in color, surface is moderately glossy and             sparsely covered with very short hairs an average of 0.3 mm             in length, too small to measure color.         -   Calyx.—Rotate and tubular in shape, 3.5 mm in length, 4 mm             in diameter.         -   Sepals.—5, 1 whorl, average of 4 mm in length, 1.5 mm in             width, ovate in shape, 25% of base fused into tube, acute             apex, entire margins, color; when opening and fully opr             upper surface 91A, when opening lower surface 86C, when             fully open lower surface 90D, texture upper and lower             surface smooth and glabrous with margins moderately             pubescent with very short hairs; an average of 0.3 mm in             length and 156D in color.         -   Petals.—Average of 5, 1 whorl, 55% of petals fused into             tube, upper petals; average of 9 mm in length, 2 mm in             width, oblanceolate in shape, obtuse apex, entire margins,             no undulation, upper and lower surface moderately covered             with very short hairs; an average of 0.4 mm in length and             156D in color, lower petals; average of 1.1 cm in length, 4             mm in width, oblanceolate in shape, apex is obtuse with             lower petal cleft 2-lobed, entire margins, no undulation,             upper and lower surface moderately covered with very short             hairs; an average of 0.4 mm in length and 156D in color,             flower throat texture is smooth and glabrous, flower tube             texture upper (inner) side is smooth and glabrous, flower             tube texture outer side is moderately pubescent with very             short hairs; an average of 0.4 mm in length and 156D in             color, color all petals; when opening and fully open upper             surface a color between N88A and N88B with veins on upper             surface N88A, when opening lower surface 83B, when fully             open lower surface 93B, flower throat between N88A and N88B,             flower tube 93B on inner and outer surface. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Pistils.—1, style; 7.5 mm in length, 90D in color, stigma;             0.2 mm in length, cleft in shape, ovary; 143B in color.         -   Stamens.—4, filament; implanted into flower tube, two             filaments longer, two are shorter, average length of short             filaments is 1 mm, average length of longer filaments is 2             mm, 93C in color, anthers; dorsifixed, narrow elliptic in             shape, 1 mm in length, 0.5 mm in width and 202A in color,             pollen; moderate in quantity and 5C in color.         -   Fruit.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed to             date. 

It is claimed: 1: A new and distinct variety of Ajuga plant named ‘Piotrek01’ as described and illustrated herein. 